The present invention relates to a top-loading horizontal axis automatic washer having a tub with an opening and a rotatable basket disposed within the tub, the basket having door flaps, and more particularly, to a system for positioning the basket within the tub in a loading position wherein the basket doors are aligned with the tub opening.
Typically, horizontal axis automatic washers employ either a front loading or a top loading configuration for receiving clothes items to be washed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,980 to Marple, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, shows a typical front loading horizontal washer wherein the horizontal wash basket is accessed through one of the vertical end walls of the horizontal basket and the front surface of the washer enclosure.
The preference of many consumers, however, particularly those in the U.S., is for top loading washers. Existing top loading horizontal axis washers, however, have some drawbacks. In the typical top-loading horizontal washer, the rotatable wash basket must be manually positioned by the user for alignment with a tub opening for accessing the interior of the wash basket. U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,542 illustrates such a washer wherein no automatic wash basket positioning system is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,712 discloses a top-loading horizontal washing machine having a system for locking a rotatable basket in an upright position responsive to opening a cabinet lid of the washer. In this reference, responsive to opening the cabinet lid, a feeler is positioned against a pulley which is drivingly connected to the wash basket, during basket positioning. The drive motor is deenergized when the feeler engages a recess on the pulley which corresponds to a upright basket position wherein the basket doors are aligned with a tub opening. In this fashion, the basket is automatically positioned for loading and unloading when the cabinet lid is opened.
Several other references, such as European Patent 253,250 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,571,197, disclose the concept of positioning a rotatable basket by stopping the drive motor of the basket in response to sensing the rotational position of pulleys or arms rotationally associated with the basket.
The above described positioning systems, however, all contain disadvantages. One disadvantage is that without a mechanical interlock or motor brake positively positioning the basket and holding it in place, the wash basket is likely to rotate under the force generated by unbalanced loads within the basket. In this fashion, although the wash basket may be initially correctly positioned, the wash basket may quickly move out of position, requiring manual positioning for loading and unloading the wash basket. Further, due to the inertial rotation of the wash basket which occurs after the motor stops, basket positioning which involves sensing the basket position and then deenergizing the basket drive motor provides relatively poor basket rotational control. Additionally, the above described systems are all relatively complicated and costly.
There exists, therefore, a need for a top loading horizontal axis washer having an improved, more secure, reliable and accurate system for positioning a rotatable wash basket within an tub for loading and unloading clothes to and from the wash basket.